Simcoe Veterinary Hospital

Here's Your Pet's Back-to-School Checklist

Summer's wrapping up, and as the family settles back into the school-year rhythm, your pets are adjusting right alongside you. 🐾

A quick checklist to help them keep pace:

🐾 Ease the empty house. After a summer of company, a suddenly quiet home can leave pets unsettled. Short practice absences, a comfy spot by the window, and a puzzle feeder go a long way.

🐾 Stick to the clock. Pets thrive on predictability. Try to keep feeding, walks, and bedtime consistent even as everyone's schedule shifts — it's the single easiest way to reduce stress.

🐾 Secure the new gear. Markers, erasers, glue, and small supplies are curiosity magnets. A quick sweep of the backpack drop zone keeps trouble out of reach.

🐾 Book the fall check-in. New season, fresh start — a wellness visit now gets your pet ahead before the busy fall stretch. And when you're on one of our 4 Health Plans, you get free checkups all year round!

Wishing every Simcoe family an easy transition this September.

Helping People Help Pets.

🍂 Long Weekend Hours — Simcoe Veterinary Hospital

Simcoe Veterinary Hospital will be closed for the Labour Day long weekend so our team can rest and recharge with their families, but your pets are never without care. Our partners at Barrie Animal Hospital are open and ready to help if something comes up — including urgent care with a live RVT on the line after hours. 🐾

We'll be back to our regular hours on Tuesday, September 8th.
Enjoy the long weekend, and rest easy knowing help is just a call away.

Helping People Help Pets.

It's Black Cat Appreciation Day!
Show us your house panther in the comments.

August 15th is Check the Chip Day!

Microchips are a great way to help lost pets find their way home — but they only work if the information connected to them is up to date.

Today is a good reminder to take two minutes and check:

- Is your pet microchipped?
- Is your phone number current?
- Have you moved since your pet was chipped?
- Is your email address still correct?

Not sure if your pet has a microchip or whether it can be read? We can scan for one at the clinic — it’s quick, easy and painless.

Because if your pet ever goes missing, one tiny chip can make a very big difference.️

Need an appointment?
No need to wait until we’re open or find time to call — you can book your pet’s appointment online, 24/7.

Whether you remember at 10 a.m. or 10 p.m., online booking makes it easy to get your pet’s next visit on the calendar.

Your schedule. Your pet’s care. A few clicks away on our website. ❤️

Simcoe Veterinary Hospital will be closed for the long weekend, but you and your pets are never on your own.
Our partners at have you covered with urgent care all weekend long — Friday to Monday, noon–10 PM. Same warmth, same compassion, same standard of care you'd expect from us. Enjoy the long weekend — help is close by if you need it.

Preventive care shouldn't come with a shock at the counter. One full year — exams, vaccines, parasite prevention, diagnostic screening — divided into 12 easy monthly payments. Fewer surprises, more healthy visits. We're here to help, because help is who we are.

Happy Cow Appreciation Day!

Today we're giving a little love to the sweetest faces in the field. Maybe you've got farm roots, maybe you wave at the cows on every country drive, or maybe you just can't resist those big curious eyes — either way, this post is for you.

Show us your best cow photo in the comments! The fluffy calves, the laid-back lawnmowers, the herd you spotted on your last road trip — bring 'em on.

Know someone whose feed could use a few more cows today? Tag them!

Happy National Kitten Day!

There's nothing quite like a new kitten — the tiny "mews," the zoomies at 2 a.m., the way they fall asleep mid-pounce. But behind all that cuteness, those first 12 months are also the most important for setting your kitten up for a long, healthy life.

That first year adds up fast: a series of vaccines, deworming, parasite prevention, spay or neuter, microchipping, and wellness checkups that catch little issues before they become big ones.

That's where a Kitten Health Plan comes in. 🐾 Instead of paying for everything at once, our plans spread your kitten's full first-year care across 12 manageable monthly payments — so your new family member gets all the care they need, on a budget that works for you.

✔️ All the essential first-year care, bundled together
✔️ Predictable monthly payments instead of surprise bills
✔️ Peace of mind that nothing important gets missed

New kitten in your life? Reach out today and let's build the perfect start to their nine lives.

Too hot to trot? Do the 7-second test. 🐾

Before you head out on a summer walk, press the back of your hand flat against the pavement and hold it there. Can't last 7 seconds? It's too hot for your dog's paws.
Asphalt can hit 50°C+ on a sunny day — hot enough to burn sensitive paw pads in minutes. And remember: even if the air feels comfortable to you, the ground tells a different story.

Keep paws happy this summer:
☀️ Walk early morning or after sunset when pavement is coolest
🌳 Stick to grass or shaded paths
💧 Bring water for both of you
🐕 Watch for limping, licking paws, or red/blistered pads — and call us if you spot them

When in doubt, hand down. If it's too hot for your skin, it's too hot for theirs.